Surgical appliances



July 8, 1958 L. s. SEIDLER 2,842,130

SURGICAL APPLIANCES Filed March 15, 1957 IN VEN TOR.

LEON SEIDLER United States Pawn SURGICAL APPLIANCES Leon S. Seidler, Chicago, Ill.

Application March 13, 1957, Serial No. 645,771

Claims. (Cl. 128-393) This invention relates to improvements in surgical appliances and more particularly to those for holding certain members of the human body in suitable position while undergoing surgical or other treatment.

Various forms of appliances which have hitherto been devised for corresponding purposes have encountered difliculties in applying, adjusting and readily removing the appliance and have had undesirable effects due to maladjusted elastic bands and the use of harsh, rigid rings and other components resulting in damage to the surfaces of the member. No suitable gripping arrangements are provided for the surgeon. No ready means are available for applying varying amounts of constrictive pressure.

The principal object of my invention is to provide an appliance designed primarily to support a human penis and hold it firmly in place on said support. In addition, when required, the bottom of the device may be gripped between the thumb and fingers of one hand of a surgical operator and digital pressure applied to shift the resulting tension to and from various portions of the appliance, leaving the other hand of the operator free to apply surgical or other treatment, or other instrumentation.

It is lightweight, inexpensive, and easy to clean. Being non-metallic, there is no thermal conductivity with resultant temperature shock. It is very simply designed for easy manipulation and rapid adjustment. It provides a light soft pliable support for use as an aid in the catherization and irrigation of the urethra and bladder, also surgery, including plastic surgery and other uses. It is preferably made from vinyl film and is non-toxic.

The body member to be held and sustained may be straightened, slightly stretched and held firmly on the device under pressure where required. My device also acts as a support and a grip to be grasped between the thumb and finger of one hand of a surgical or medical operator. It may be applied above or below the penis, or longitudinally along the sides.

Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment illustrative of the invention and shown in the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the device without the member in place.

My invention comprises a supporting surgical appliance or medical splint or support consisting of a substantially rectangular and gas filled cushion enclosure with nonelastic, non-yielding straps extending transversely of the top of the cushion and from side to side. These straps are positioned adjacent to the ends of the cushion and are spaced from each other.

The cushion has an upper portion and a lower portion hermetically sealed together longitudinally and transversely around its perimeter to prevent the escape of gas when the cushion is squeezed. The top surface of the cushion is preferably fiat and the bottom is preferably transversely rounded.

The device is preferably made of two pieces of vinyl film, die cut to the desired shape and size to form the 2 upper and lower portions. The straps of required size are also preferably cut from non-elastic, non-yielding vinyl film. With the straps in place, the top portion, bottom portion and straps are welded or fused together, air or gas is injected through an opening provided, and the entire assembly hermetically sealed.

The gas content may also be provided by the insertion of carbon dioxide pellets into the cushion and the various components welded or fused together at the peripheral seam. Evaporation of a predetermined volume of pellets provide the required gas content and pressure.

Referring to the drawing, the pneumatic device therein shown as illustrative of one embodiment of my invention comprises a gas filled cushion support 1, having an upper portion 2 with a fiat top surface 2A and a lower portion 3 with a transversely rounded bottom surface 3A hermetically sealed together with a seam 4. The front section 5 has a front end 5A, while the rear section 6 has a rear end 6A. A flexible, nonyielding, non-metallic front strap 7 is permanently and fixedly attached to seam 4 transversely of top surface 2A at 8 and 9, while a flexible nonyielding non-metallic rear strap 1%) is also permanently and fixedly attached to seam 4 transversely of top surface 2A at 11 and 12.

The amount of air or gas provided in the cushion and its pressure is high enough to make the device semi-rigid and load supporting on its top surface and low enough to allow displacement of the gas from one section of the cushion to another section or portion by digital application of pressure.

Before application, the device may be cooled in a refrigerator contracting the gas within the cushion making it smaller in volume and thus easier to apply the member through the bands.

In positioning the cushion on the member, the gas is displaced digitally from the rear section to the front section by application of pressure on the lower portion underneath the rear strap. This provides a larger opening under the rear strap further assisting in easier application. The gas may then be similarly displaced from the front section to the rear section providing a larger opening under the front strap.

The body temperature of the member heats the gas within the cushion causing it to expand and thus put greater pressure on the straps and the portion of the member within said strap. Application of further heat to the cushion expands the contained gas, putting still greater tension on the bands and is thus operative in putting greater constriction on the member in place on said cushion.

The sides and bottom portion of the cushion are adapted to form and be used as a sustaining finger grip between the thumb and fingers of one hand of the operator to steady the member while treatment is being applied by means of the other hand.

This method of displacement of gas also provides means for readily applying varying amounts of greater constriction under either or both bands by applying pressure to the lower portion of the cushion at the proper location or locations.

While the preferred embodiment of my invention has been described in detail, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction set forth, since various changes in the form, material, proportions and arrangements of parts and in the details of constructi-on may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or destroying any of the advantages contained in the same, heretofore described and defined in the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A supporting surgical appliance comprising a flex- Patented July 8, 1958 ible elongated permanently gas filled cushion enclosure provided with a plurality of flexible, non-elastic, nonyielding straps extending transversely of the top of said cushion and from side to side of said cushion, said straps being positioned adjacent to the ends of said cushion and spaced from each other, said enclosure being hermetically sealed and having a length of more than twice its Width, said gas being of a pressure to provide semirigid support and to allow displacement of said gas from section to section of said cushion by digital application of pressure, the sides and bottom of said cushion being adapted to form a sustaining finger grip.

2. A supporting surgical appliance comprising a substantially longitudinal rectangularly prismatic pliable gasfilled cushion enclosure provided with a plurality of nonelastic straps extending transversely of the top and from side to side of said cushion and positioned adjacent the ends of said enclosure, said enclosure having an upper portion and a lower portion hermetically sealed together longitudinally and transversely around its perimeter, said straps being attached to said cushion at said seal.

3. A supporting surgical appliance as in claim 2 wherein said cushion has a flat top on said upper portion and a transversely rounded surface on said lower portion.

4. A supporting surgical appliance as in claim 2 wherein the sides and bottom of said cushion are adapted to form a sustaining finger grip.

5. A surgical appliance for gripping a human penis having an elongated flexible gas filled manual gripping member provided with transverse positioning straps, said member being hermetically sealed, said straps extending from said to side and transversely of said member and being positioned adjacent to its ends, said member and straps being adapted to longitudinally support said penis from above or from below or along the sides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,291,785 Baudistel Aug. 4, 1942 PH 2,378,795 Rupe June 19, 1945 41 2,763,264 Mclnnerng Sept. 18, 1956 

